Battle of the Gas Mine
|image= |conflict=Isolated Battle |date=October 20, 2552 |place=Gas Mine, Threshold |result=Covenant Victory |side1=Covenant |side2=Heretics/Forerunners |side3=Flood |commanders1=*Rtas 'Vadumee *Tartarus |commanders2=*Sesa 'Refumee† *343 Guilty Spark |commanders3=None |forces1=*Arbiter *Rtas 'Vadumee * Special Operations Elites * Special Operations Grunts *3 Phantoms |forces2=*Sesa 'Refumee *Heretic Elites *Heretic Grunts *Heretic Banshees *Heretic Seraph *Sentinels |forces3=*Carrier Forms *Combat Forms *Infection Forms |casual1=unknown number of Elites and Grunts |casual2=All Heretics. Numerous Sentinels. |casual3=All Flood }} The Battle of the Gas Mine took place during the Ninth Age of Reclamation. It was an attempt by Covenant SpecOps forces, under partial command of The Arbiter, to eliminate the Heretic leader, Sesa 'Refumee. Sentinel forces on the installation apparently sided with the Heretic forces, presumably due to 343 Guilty Spark's presence there. The Flood later joined the battle, possibly due to the carelessness of the Heretics. All Flood and Heretic forces (excluding Guilty Spark) are presumed destroyed, due to the destruction of the installation. Sequence of Events Sometime after the Battle of Installation 4, the Monitor (343 Guilty Spark) arrived at a Foreunner Gas Mine. There, he met the Covenant search team, lead by Sesa Refumee. Refumee, learning of the truth of the Halos, inspired rebellion and led his team in a Heretic Campaign. His team holed up at the mine, fortifying it with Shielded turrets, Banshee aircraft, and Anti Aircraft Fuel Rod Guns. They dressed in the armor of the Elites homeworld, and armed themselves with Needlers, Carbines, Fuel Rod Cannons, Plasma Rifles and Minor Sentinel Beams. 343 Guilty Spark reinforced these defenses with Sentinels and intelligence. Here, the Heretics lashed out at any Covenant assault team that came near. Around this time, the disgraced Fleet Commander was given the Prophets blessing and led a Spec Ops team against the Heretics, as the Arbiter. After entering the structure, the Arbiter and his team met with minor resistance from the heretic soldiers. After battling their way to the hanger bay, they encountered sentinels that were allied with the heretics. After clearing the landing bay, and dealing with heretic reinforcements, the Arbiter and the SpecOps team ventured further into the facility. Later on, after heavy resistance, the Arbiter was forced to proceed by banshee. He and a Phantom cleared the outside of the facility of enemy soldiers and banshees, and then the Arbiter and another squad of SpecOps Elites entered the center of the facility. When they entered the structure, they encountered the flood. After an elevator ride, on which they battled the flood, and fighting their way through numerous flood-infested corridors and rooms, the Arbitor encountered Sesa Refumee. Refumee escapes, however, and the rest of the SpecOps Elites leave, while the Arbiter continues upwards to cut the cables holding that section to the rest of the facility. After the Arbiter cuts the cables, he chases the heretic leader to where the Banshees are. He is alerted by Rtas Vadumee that Sesa will attempt to escape in the Seraph that was in the launch bay the Arbiter had recieved reinforcements from. The Arbiter fights his way past numerous groups of Heretics and flood and reaches the Seraph fighter, which Sesa is about to enter. 343 Guilty Spark appears but, before the Arbiter can question him, Refumee attacks. After a brief battle, the Arbiter drags the dead heretic's corpse to 343 Guilty Spark. After a brief exchange of words, the monitor is captured by Tartarus. The Arbiter then leaves the Gas Facility on Tartarus's phantom. Outcome The Arbiter and the SpecOps Elites managed to kill the heretic leader, which was their mission objective. 343 Guilty Spark was captured by Tartarus and taken to the High Council. All the heretics died at the hands of the flood. The flood was released, but didn't escape the installation. Category:Battle